Artwork
Landscape with Lightning
Landscape with Lightning is an oil painting by the French Classical Baroque artist Gaspard Dughet. It dates from 1668 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a dramatic landscape dominated by a stormy sky pierced by a bolt of lightning that illuminates a solitary tree and a distant horizon.
The painting shows a dramatic landscape dominated by a stormy sky pierced by a bolt of lightning that illuminates a solitary tree and a distant horizon. The composition emphasizes the power of nature, using the sudden flash to evoke a sense of awe and the transitory nature of earthly moments. This symbolic use of lightning aligns with 17th‑century interpretations that associated the phenomenon with divine revelation and the fleeting nature of life, reflecting the artist’s fascination with atmospheric effects and the sublime in the natural world.
Technique & Style
Landscape with Lightning is an oil painting executed on canvas, reflecting Dughet’s characteristic approach to naturalistic landscape composition. The work depicts a dramatic scene of wind, a tree, and lightning, emphasizing atmospheric effects and luminous contrast. Measured at 40 cm in height and 62.5 cm in width, the painting was created in France in 1668 and is housed in the Hermitage Museum.
The composition showcases a tightly observed interplay of light and weather, with lightning striking a solitary tree amid a turbulent sky. Brushwork remains restrained yet expressive, aligning with the classical landscape tradition while introducing a heightened sense of immediacy. The support, canvas, was standard for easel paintings of the period, allowing for fine detail and layered application of oil paint.
History & Provenance
Landscape with Lightning is an oil painting on canvas created by Gaspard Dughet in 1668. The work was produced in France and depicts a stormy scene featuring wind, trees, and lightning. Since its creation, the painting has been held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. The specific dimensions of the canvas are 40 cm in height and 62.5 cm in width.
Gaspard Dughet's oil painting Landscape with Lightning is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. The work, created in 1668, depicts a stormy scene featuring wind, trees, and lightning. While the Hermitage serves as its current location, the provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for this piece. Furthermore, the available documentation contains no record of the painting's exhibition history or public display dates.
Overview
Gaspard Dughet’s 1668 oil painting titled Landscape with Lightning presents a turbulent natural scene. Dark, heavy clouds dominate the sky, pierced by a vivid bolt of lightning. A winding river, crumbling architecture, and rugged hills compose the middle ground, while figures grapple with a fallen tree in the foreground. The work is part of the collection of the State Hermitage Museum.
Artist & collection
